Just wanted to reiterate that I'm grading songs a bit harsher than I have in the past, so if you think you got a really low score, it really isn't that low. There weren't any songs I disliked this round. Just some I liked more than others

ROUND 1 RESULTS

Parama: Kimbra - Settle DownYeah, this was a bit of a risky pick, but I encourage risky picks cause that's what makes these fun. This song was pretty enjoyable, but not really my cup of tea. There were a couple of really cool aspects, however. I thought the chorus was great, and definitely my favorite part of the song, and the singer is clearly very talented. I wasn't huge on the verses, though. Definitely not a bad song, and you'll probably think this is a really low score, but this will probably be a fairly common score. I grade hard.Score: 5.5

Scorpion: Speaking to Stones - My Final SinYeah, I had some trouble finding your first song. Wasn't on YouTube or Spotify or any other streaming service I could find, so had to go with the second song. I really liked the intro of this, and I enjoyed how they threw in those clean guitar parts. I found the rest to be a little generic, though. The guitar solo at the end was impressive, but I didn't really find it necessary, and I think I might've liked the song more if it ended at 7 minutes, instead of coming back in for the last solo. Not a bad song by any means, it just felt kind of ordinary.Score: 6

Train of Naught: Gojira - The Gift of GuiltI got a couple Gojira tunes in my last roulette, and I had pretty similar feelings about this one. I have no problem with the heaviness, but I didn't find it all that memorable, and there were times where I struggled to recall how the song went in my head. My favorite part would probably be the chorus, as I found that to be the part that stuck with me the most, especially the guitar line there (and in the intro). Overall, I liked this one a bit more than the ones in my last roulette, but I think a lot of the song just kind of felt like "standard heavy metal song".Score: 6.5

Sacul: Riverside - Hybrid TimesI'll admit, this was definitely better than most of the prog metal I've heard recently. The first couple of minutes were pretty excellent. Good balance between the instruments/vocals. I felt it kind of drag a bit towards the end, though, especially in the long instrumental section (other than the awesome guitar solo), and there were times where it got a bit predictable. Definitely a lot of things to like in this song, but I didn't think it really stood out that much above most good prog metal.Score: 6.5

Senecadawg: Susanne Sundfor - KamikazeI definitely don't have a problem with you sending some poppy tracks in this roulette. While I still consider myself a "prog" dude, I can enjoy well done pop songs just as much. This song was really catchy. I found myself whistling it at random times throughout the day . However, I didn't think there was anything about it that really blew me away, and in the end I think it falls somewhere in the dreaded "good but not great" category. The outro also seemed a bit out of place, but the rest of the song was solid.Score: 7

Tyrias: Azedia - AgonyThis song was super interesting. It had a pretty crazy mix of instruments/electronics, and it always kept me guessing as to what will happen next, which I really liked. There were a couple things I wasn't too big on. The vocals were nice, but I wish they were a little more varied and less repetitive. I also wasn't a huge fan of the "I, I, I" parts. Everything from around 4:30 to the end was excellent, though. By far this was the most interesting and least predictable song of the round. Score: 7.5

Splent: Miles Davis - So WhatI've definitely heard the main line in this tune before, but I never listened to it in full. I definitely should have. This was a 9 minute track that felt like 4 minutes. The rhythm section was really solid, and there were a couple top notch solos in there. The only little critique I have is that there were a few too many solos for my taste. In jazz, I tend to prefer the songs that don't have as much improv soloing. Here there really wasn't that many, but just a tiny but much. Great song overall.Score: 7.5

Shadow Ninja: The White Buffalo - Wish it was TrueThis song was simple, but very beautiful. Strong lyrics and great emotion in the vocals really set this song apart. I also enjoyed the background strings a lot. This doesn't happen very often, but I don't really have anything to nitpick about . Best song of the round.Score: 8.5

Time to start getting into some themes, which again will be super basic. I don't want to restrict you guys too much.Round 2 theme will be anything uplifting/happy. Start sending whenever, and hopefully results shouldn't take more than a week.

I will be out of town until next tuesday (pretty late), so I probably won't be able to send until then for the next round. (unless I know the theme for round 3 within 2 hours, that is). Sry about that, feel free to just continue grading without my song and then I'll just send you mine afterwards.

Tyrias: Caravan Palace - Jolie CoquineAnother very interesting submission. The easiest way to describe this song is just "weird" The main melody sounded kind of familiar (maybe it was in a commercial or something). Overall, I thought the instrumentation was pretty cool, but the vocal parts were not my favorite. This one didn't really click, but keep the interesting songs coming!Score: 5.5

Scorpion: The Cat Empire - FishiesYeah, this definitely was not an "ordinary" song. Pretty interesting blend of genres/instruments. I thought the trumpet parts were pretty killer. The vocals were alright, but nothing special, and I wasn't too big on the keyboard solo. Good song, but it didn't really connect with me. Score: 6

Sacul: Marketa Irglova - Time ImmemorialI'm having a hard time deciding on this song. Sometimes a think its awesome, other times not so much. Not sure what to make of that. The guitar was easily my favorite part, simple but effective and great tone. I think the vocals are why I'm so indecisive. Sometimes they sound really good, and at other times I feel like they drag it down. Maybe more listens will make it click, but for now its in the dreaded good but not great range.Score: 6.5

Shadow Ninja: Homestuck - MoonsetterVery bright and catchy song. This is one I would be whistling all day after hearing it. However, I thought this song worked best as background music while I was doing something else. I guess that makes sense, given that it was a soundtrack. Fun song overall.Score: 6.5

Senecadawg: Sound of Contact - Pale Blue DotI really liked the instrumentation in this song, especially the guitar parts in the chorus, which were pretty excellent. The vocals were hit and miss. I thought they were fine in the verses, and most of the chorus, but for some reason every time he said "Pale Blue Dot", I was like "bleh". This song was definitely a grower, so maybe that will part will also grow in time.Score: 7

Parama: Thank You Scientist - CarnivalThis was a pretty cool song. I really liked how they mixed in some horns, it gave it a pretty unique sound. The chorus was probably my favorite part, and I really got a Coheed & Cambria vibe from it. I usually liked all the different instruments, but the violin solo felt a little out of place. Other than that, great song.Score: 7.5

Splent: Triumph - Magic PowerWith the name "Magic Power", I was totally expecting some cheese here, but that wasn't the case. The song opened up with an awesome guitar line, which I think might be my favorite part of the whole song. I don't have a whole lot else to say about this one, it was just solid from beginning to end.Score 7.5

Train of Naught: The Dear Hunter - King of Swords(Reversed)Wow. I swear I tried checking this band out once before, but I don't remember it sounding anything at all like this. Totally not what I was expecting. This song was super infectious and uplifting, great pick for this round. The verses gave me a bit of a Talking Heads vibe (certainly not a bad thing). Overall, this was quite a pleasant surprise, and I'll definitely have to check this band out more.Score: 8

no, lower my score because if you don't like the violin solo (literal best part of the entire album) then we can't be friends

and yeah TYS does have a bit in common with Coheed (though i still feel vocals are way different but w/e) and i saw both of them in concert together last month to boot, personally i prefer TYS overall but coheed has the best songs between the two easily